Timeline of historic inventions
The timeline of historic inventions is a chronological list of particularly important or significant technological s and the people who created the inventions. Note: Dates for inventions are often controversial. Inventions are often invented by several inventors around the same time, or may be invented in an impractical form many years before another inventor improves the invention into a more practical form. Where there is ambiguity, the date of the first known working version of the invention is used here. Earliest inventions The dates listed in this section refer to the earliest evidence of an invention found and dated by (or in a few cases, suggested by indirect evidence). Dates are often approximate and change as more research is done, reported and seen. Older examples of any given technology are found often. The locations listed are for the site where the earliest solid evidence has been found, but especially for the earlier inventions, there is little certainty how close that may be to where the invention took place. Pre-Paleolithic * ~23 to 5.3 million years ago ( ), the epoch: s, composed of a sleeping platform including wooden Paleolithic ''A few non-invention dates are included in italics, for context. This time period is characterized as an ice age with regular periodic warmer periods – interglacial episodes – initially every 41,000 years slowing to '' * 3.3-2.6 million years ago ( ): – found in present-day , they are so old that only a pre-human species could have invented them. The otherwise earliest known stone tools ( ) were found in developed perhaps by '' or * 2.3 Ma: Earliest likely and , by * 1.76 Ma: Advanced ( ) stone tools in by * 900-40 thousand years ago ( ): s * 790 ka: s, at , in (latest possible invention of cooking) * 400 ka: s in * 400-300 ka: s in likely by * 350-150 ka: Estimated * 300 ka: s * 200 ka: in Italy * 170-83 ka: * 164 ka: Heat treating of stone blades. * 135-100 ka: s in Israel and * ~130-115 ka: interglacial period begins and ends, followed by the * 100 ka: in Israel * 90 ka: in the . * 77 ka: Bug-repellent bedding in South Africa * 64–61 ka: technology in South Africa, evidenced by the find of a along with what may be an arrowhead, suggesting , and a * 49-30 ka: tools – fragments of an axe in Australia date to 49-45 ka, more appear in Japan closer to 30 ka, and elsewhere closer to the Neolithic. * 40-50+ ka: * 44–42 ka: (see ) in * 40–20 ka: in * 40 ka: in and * 37 ka: in . * 36–9 ka: – Indirect evidence supports earlier end in and/or . The earliest actual piece of woven cloth was found in Çatalhöyük, Turkey * 35 ka: in Germany * 28 ka: Spun * 28 ka: in Germany * 16 ka: in * 15 ka: in * 14.5 ka: in Jordan * 14 ka: in northern Italy * 13–12 ka: in the * 13–11 ka: of in (followed shortly by pigs, goats and cattle) Neolithic Note the shift from to – 8000 BC is approximately the same as 10 ka. * ''11.7 ka: Last glacial period ends, followed by the * 11-8 ka: Domestication of in * 11 ka: – , in * 8000–7500 BC: – large permanent settlements, such as and * 7000 BC: – specifically , in China * 6500 BC: Evidence of in in * 6000 BC: in (Iraq) * 5000 BC: in * 5th millennium BC: in China * 5000–4500 BC: in China * 4500–3500 BC: in * 4400 BC: Copper in , Egypt * 4000–3500 BC: : s in and wheeled vehicles in Mesopotamia (Sumerian civilization), the Northern ( ) and ( ). * 3630 BC: Silk garments ( ) in China * 3500 BC: * 3200 BC: in 3rd millennium BC * 3000 BC: – in , (Iraq) (also see ) * 3000 BC: extraction in * 3000 BC: in Mesopotamia * 3000 BC: in Egypt * 3000 BC: in . * 3000 BC: in . * 2500 BC: in 2nd millennium BC * 2000 BC: in * 2000 BC: in and * 2000 BC: in * 1700 BC: in (Modern Lebanon) * 1500 BC: in * 1500 BC: in (Modern Lebanon) or * 1500 BC: in * 1300 BC: in Ancient Egypt 1st millennium BC 7th century BC * 600 BC in Egypt * Late 7th or early 6th century BC: called across the in 6th century BC , a single man tripled the weight he could lift than with his muscular strength alone.}} * Late 6th century BC: motion ( ) in or 5th century BC * c. 515 BC: in 5th century BC * 5th century BC: in : Confirmed by archaeological evidence, the earliest cast iron is developed in China by the early 5th century BC during the Zhou Dynasty (1122–256 BC), the oldest specimens found in a tomb of Luhe County in province. * 5th century BC: in and : In Ancient China, the earliest evidence of bronze bolts dates as early as the mid-5th century BC in Yutaishan, . In Ancient Greece, the of the is 421 BC. * 5th–4th century BC: in ; appeared in the Mediterranean by the 6th century AD. * 421 BC: in (incl. ) or * c. 480 BC: (Temple A) in , (see also ) 4th century BC * 375–350 BC: in Carthage. * 4th century BC: s in * Approximately 350 BC: , an optical communication system developed by . 3rd century BC * By at least the 3rd century BC: in * Early 3rd century BC: in under (283–246 BC) in * 3rd century BC: during the , used in water-driven . * 3rd century BC: and in described by (c. 280 – 220 BC) * 3rd century BC: described Philo of Byzantium * 3rd–2nd century BC: in : The earliest discovered blast furnaces in China date to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, although most sites are from the later . 2nd century BC s, , appeared in the 2nd century BC in the on small Greek craft. Here a spritsail used on a merchant ship (3rd century AD).}} * 2nd century BC: in : Although it is recorded that the Han Dynasty (202 BC – AD 220) court eunuch (born c. 50–121 AD) invented the pulp papermaking process and established the use of new raw materials used in making paper, ancient padding and wrapping paper artifacts dating to the 2nd century BC have been found in China, the oldest example of pulp papermaking from , . * 150 BC invented in the Hellenistic world. 1st century BC * 1st century BC: discovered on the Lebanese coast. * 1st century BC: Segmental (e.g. or ) in , * 1st century BC: ( ) in , (see also ) * 71 BC (possibly 3rd century BC): ( ) by in Eastern (see also ) * Before 40 BC: in * Before 25 BC: by in , Spain 1st millennium AD 1st century * 1st century: The , a simple is recorded by Hero of Alexandria. * 1st century: invented by . * 1st century: s invented by . 2nd century * 118 AD: was found in a tomb at , province during * 132: and in , built by . It is a large metal urn-shaped instrument which employed either a suspended pendulum or acting on inertia, like the ground tremors from s, to dislodge a metal ball by a lever trip device. 3rd century . Dated to the 3rd century AD, it is the earliest known machine to incorporate a and mechanism.}} * Early 3rd century: is invented in at sometime before 220 AD. This made China become the world first . * Late 3rd century: and ( ) in , * Late 3rd–early 4th century: in , 4th century * 4th century: in : In literary records, the earliest evidence of the fishing reel comes from a 4th-century AD work entitled Lives of Famous Immortals'. * 347 AD: s and drilling in . Such wells could reach depths of up to 240 m (790 ft). * 4th century: s in : The first dependable representation of a rider with paired stirrups was found in China in a Jin dynasty tomb of about AD 322. The stirrup appeared to be in widespread use across China by AD 477. * 4th–5th century: (in '' ) in 5th century * 5th century: in : The horse collar as a fully developed collar harness is developed in Southern and Northern Dynasties China during the 5th century AD. The earliest depiction of it is a cave from the Chinese , the dated to 477–499. * 5th/6th century: ( ) in , 6th century in action}} * after 500 AD: (spinning wheel): invented in India, between 500 and 1000 A.D. * 563 AD: ( ) in , * 577 AD: exist in . * 589 AD: in , first mentioned by the official (531–591), with full evidence of continual use in subsequent dynasties. 7th century * 650 AD in Persia * 672 AD: in , : Greek fire, an likely based on or , is invented by Kallinikos, a Lebanese Greek refugee from , as described by . However, the historicity and exact chronology of this account is dubious, and it could be that Kallinikos merely introduced an improved version of an established weapon. * 7th century: in : The banknote is during the and dynasties, starting in the 7th century. Its roots are in merchant s of deposit during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), as and s desire to avoid the heavy bulk of in large commercial transactions. * 7th century: in : True porcelain is manufactured in northern China from roughly the beginning of the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century, while true porcelain was not manufactured in southern China until about 300 years later, during the early 10th century. 9th century * 9th century: in : Gunpowder is, according to prevailing academic consensus, discovered in the 9th century by searching for an . Evidence of gunpowder's first use in China comes from the (618–907). The earliest known recorded recipes for gunpowder are written by Zeng Gongliang, Ding Du, and Yang Weide in the , a military manuscript compiled in 1044 during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). * 9th century: in Syria * 9th century: in Morocco * 9th century: in : The concept of zero as a number, and not merely a symbol for separation is attributed to India. In India, practical calculations are carried out using zero, which is treated like any other number by the 9th century, even in case of division. 10th century * 10th century: in , developed in the 10th century with a tube of first bamboo and later on metal that shot a weak blast of flame and shrapnel, its earliest depiction is a painting found at . Fire lance is the earliest in the world and one of the earliest gunpowder weapons. * 10th century: in : Fireworks first appear in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279), in the early age of . Fireworks could be purchased from market vendors; these were made of sticks of packed with gunpowder. * 10th century: s in . 2nd millennium 11th century * 11th century: by Crusaders in Palestine and Lebanon * 11th century: Early versions of the are developed in * 11th century: by for the development an astronomical clock (the ) * 1088: in : The first record of a movable type system is in the , which attributes the invention of the movable type to . 12th century * 1119: (wet compass) in : The earliest recorded use of magnetized needle for navigational purposes at sea is found in 's book Pingzhou Table Talks of 1119 (written from 1111 to 1117). The typical Chinese navigational compass was in the form of a magnetic needle floating in a bowl of water. The familiar mariner's dry compass which uses a pivoting needle suspended above a compass-card in a glass box is invented in and the no later than 1300. 13th century * 1206: The , a shaft to which cams are attached, first described by * 13th century: for military and recreational uses date back to at least 13th century China. * 13th century: The earliest form of , the in . * 1275: Concept by . * 1277: in : Textual evidence suggests that the first use of a land mine in history is by a Song Dynasty brigadier general known as Lou Qianxia, who uses an 'enormous bomb' (huo pao) to kill invading in 1277. * 1286: in * 13th century: in Manchuria: Explosive bombs are used in 1221 by the against a city. The first accounts of bombs made of cast iron shells packed with explosive gunpowder are documented in the 13th century in China and are called "thunder-crash bombs", coined during a naval battle in 1231. * 13th century: in China: The earliest hand cannon dates to the 13th century based on archaeological evidence from a excavation. There is also written evidence in the Yuanshi (1370) on Li Tang, an commander under the Yuan Dynasty who in 1288 suppresses the rebellion of the Christian prince Nayan with his "gun-soldiers" or chongzu, this being the earliest known event where this phrase is used. 14th century * Early to Mid 1300s: in described in by . * By at least 1326: in * 1378: in Korea * 14th century: invented by * 14th century: in : Mentioned in the military manuscript written by (fl. 14th to early 15th century) and (1311–1375), describing naval mines used at sea or on rivers and lakes, made of and enclosed in an ox bladder. A later model is documented in 's encyclopedia written in 1637. 15th century with by the German is widely regarded as the most influential event of the . }} * Early 15th century: in * 15th century: in Europe * 15th century: in Europe * 1420s: in , * 1439: in : The printing press is invented in the by before 1440, based on existing es. The first confirmed record of a press appeared in a 1439 against Gutenberg. * Mid 15th Century: The (also spelled Harquebus) is invented, possibly in Spain. * 1480s: in * 1494: codified by 16th century * 1551: describes a simple -like device used in s. * 1560: in , * 1569: map created by * 1577: in * 1589: : Invented by . * 1594: : Invented by Captain . * By at least 1597: : Invented by Hans Stopler. 17th century , the world's first newspaper (first published in 1605)}} * 1605: ( ): in , (see also ) * 1608: : Patent applied for by in the . Actual inventor unknown since it seemed to already be a common item being offered by the spectacle makers in the Netherlands with also applying for patent and the son of making a claim 47 years later that his father invented it. * c. 1620: , which combine an with an to view a , first appear in Europe. Apparently derived from the telescope, actual inventor unknown, variously attributed to (his son claiming it was invented in 1590), , and . * 1630: : invented by * 1642: . The is built by * 1643: : invented by , or possibly up to three years earlier by . * 1650: : Invented by . * 1656: : Invented by . It was first conceptulized in 1637 by but he was unable to create a working model. * 1663: : Invented by . * 1680: provides the first known description of a . 18th century 1700s * c. 1709: crafts the first . * 1709: invents the alcohol . 1710s * 1712: builds the first commercial steam engine to pump water out of mines. Newcomen's engine, unlike 's, uses a piston. 1730s * c. 1730: and independently develop the * 1733: enables one person to operate a loom with the * 1736: tests his first Sea Clock, H1. * 1738: and invent the first . 1740s * 1745: and independently develop the , an early form of . * 1746: invents the . 1750s * 1755: invents the first artificial machine. 1760s * 1764: invents the . * 1765: invents the improved utilizing a separate condenser. * 1767: invents a method for the production of . * 1769: invents the first steam-powered vehicle capable of carrying passengers, an early . 1770s * 1770: invents the earliest known design for a . * 1774: invents his machine, considered by some to be the first . * 1775: invents the modern . * 1776: invents a mechanical that would become the prototype for all later mechanical compressors. 1780s * 1783: builds the first . * 1783: and build the first manned . * 1785: is the first to use the technique. * 1786: invents the . * 1789: invents the . 1790s * 1790: Thomas Saint invents the . * 1792: invents the modern semaphore . * 1793: invents the modern . * 1795: invents the . * 1796: invents the printing technique. * 1797: invents . * 1798: develops the first successful , the . * 1799: invents the first motorized . * 1799: The first is invented by . 19th century 1800s * 1800: invents the , an early form of in , based on previous works by . * 1802: invents the (exact date unclear; not practical as a light source until the invention of efficient electric generators). * 1804: discovers as the first active alkaloid extracted from the opium poppy plant. * 1804: invents the . * 1804: creates tsusensan, the first modern . * 1807: invents the first capable of doing useful work. * 1807: designs the first automobile powered by an fuelled by . * 1807: expands water transportation and trade with the workable steamboat. 1810s * 1810: invents the process for food. * 1811: invents the first powered , which was also the first to use a cylinder. * 1812: pioneered the invention of the which he improved in later years. Safety lamps based on Clanny's improved design were used until the adoption of electric lamps. * 1814: invents the modern , though of and of have also been credited at times with its invention. * 1816: Francis Ronalds builds the first working using means. * 1816: invents the . * 1817: Baron invents the , an early and precursor to the modern . * 1818: invents the . 1820s * 1822: invents the pattern-tracing lathe (actually more like a ) and was completed by for the U.S. Ordnance Dept. The lathe can copy symmetrical shapes and is used for making gun stocks, and later, ax handles. The lathe's patent is in force for 42 years, the record for any U.S. patent. * 1822: invents , the first photographic process. * 1822: , considered the " ", begins building the first programmable . * 1823: invents the . * 1824: invents the . * 1825: invents the . * 1826: invents the friction . * 1828: develops the process. * 1828: invents the . * 1828: Hungarian physicist invents the first commutated rotary with electromagnets. * 1829: William Mann invents the compound . 1830s * 1830: invents the . * 1831: invents a method of . It would be independently invented by the following year. * 1834: , a German-born Russian, invents the first practical . * 1835: invents the electromechanical . * 1837: invents . * 1838: invents . * 1839: invents the . * 1839: invents the . * 1839: invents a method for the , effectively producing the first . 1840s * 1841: devises a printing telegraph. * 1842: invents the first . * 1842: invents , the first man-made . * 1844: and, independently, come up with the wood pulp method of paper production. * 1845: invents Modern . * 1846: Henri-Joseph Maus invents the . * 1847: invents , the first explosive made that was stronger than . * 1848: Jonathan J. Couch invents the . * 1849: invents the first to use metallic cartridges (of his own design) and a spring-fed magazine. * 1849: invents the . 1850s * 1850: invents the . * 1852: is the first to use a technique. * 1852: invents the safety brake elevator. * 1852: becomes the first person to make a manned, controlled and powered flight using a . * 1853: invents . * 1855: invents the first practical method for , whether chemical or electronic. * 1855: Sir. patents the for making steel, with improvements made by others over the following years. * 1856: produces the world's first practical ice making machine and refrigerator using the principle of vapour compression in Geelong, Australia. * 1856: invents , the first . * 1857: invents the . * 1859: invents the , the first . 1860s * 1860: produces . * 1862: invents , also known as , the first man-made . * 1864: invents the process. * 1865: and invented the Siemens-Martin process for making steel. * 1865: publishes 'Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden' ("Experiments on Plant Hybridization"), effectively founding the science of , though the importance of his work would not be appreciated until later on. * 1867: invents , the first safely manageable explosive stronger than . 1870s * 1872: J.E.T. Woods and J. Clark invented . was the first to commercialize it. * 1873: invents the . * 1873: , a chemist, invents the as the by-product of some chemical research. * 1873: invents the first commercial , the . * 1874: invents the first . * 1876: invents the . * 1876: has a patent granted for the . However, other inventors before Bell had worked on the development of the telephone and the invention had several pioneers. * 1877: invents the first working . * 1878: is granted a patent for the first practical . * 1878: invents the . * 1879: and both patent a functional . Some two dozen inventors had experimented with electric incandescent lighting over the first three-quarters of the 19th century but never came up with a practical design. Swan's, which he had been working on his since the 1860s, had a low resistance so was only suited for small installations. Edison designed a high-resistance bulb as part of a large-scale commercial electric lighting utility. 1880s * 1881: presents , the first practical method. * 1884: invents the , ushering in the age of semi- and fully automatic firearms. * 1884: invents , the first for firearms. * 1884: Sir invents the modern . * 1884: Hungarian engineers , and intvent the closed core high efficiency transformer and the AC parallel power distribution. * 1885: invents the modern . * 1886: Carl Gassner invents the , the first , making portable electronics practical. * 1886: and independently invent the for economically producing aluminum in 1886. * 1886: invents the first petrol or gasoline powered auto-mobile (car). * 1887: invents the for the production of alumina. * 1887: invents the first used for generating electricity. * 1887: , working in collaboration with brothers Dr. Robert and Dr. William Forrest develops the process of . * 1888: invents the . * 1888: publishes a conclusive proof of 's electromagnetic theory in experiments that also demonstrate the existence of s. The effects of electromagnetic waves had been observed by many people before this but no usable theory explaining them existed until Maxwell. 1890s * 1890s: invents the first s to be applied as refrigerant. * 1890: invents the first aircraft, airplane, fly machine called or * 1891: invents the . * 1892: invents the . * 1893: invents the (although had experimented with compression ignition before Diesel). * 1895: invents a system of wireless communication using radio waves. * 1895: invented the first radiograph (xrays). * 1898: synthesizes , now the most common in the world. * 1899: invents the . 20th century 1900s * 1900: The first is designed by . * 1901: The first motorized cleaner using suction, a powered " ", is patented independently by British engineer and American inventor . * 1903: The first successful is invented by . * 1903: invents . * 1903: First manually controlled, fixed wing, motorized aircraft flies at by . See . * 1904: The , the first and , is invented by . * 1907: The first free flight of a rotary-wing aircraft is carried out by . * 1907: invents . * 1908: is invented by . * 1909: invents the . * 1909: The first instantaneous transmission of images, or broadcast, is carried out by Georges Rignoux and A. Fournier. 1910s * 1911: The , the first , is invented by . * 1913: The is developed by . * 1913: The is invented by . * 1915: The is invented by , although the British Royal Commission on Awards recognised a South Australian named Lance de Mole who had submitted a proposal to the British War Office, for a 'chain-rail vehicle which could be easily steered and carry heavy loads over rough ground and trenches' complete with extensive drawings in 1912. Additionally, an Austrian by the name of designed a tank in 1911 and a of the French army proposed a design in 1903. * 1916: The , widely used for the production of single crystal , is invented by . * 1917: The is invented by using a crystal of although his priority was disputed by 1920s * 1925: The is developed by and at the . * 1926: The or simply Yagi Antenna is invented by of Tohoku Imperial University, Japan, assisted by his colleague . The Yagi Antenna was widely used by the US, British, and Germans during . After the war they saw extensive development as home . * 1926: launches the first . * 1927: The is invented by Warren Marrison and J.W. Horton at . * 1928: is first observed to exude antibiotic substances by Nobel laureate . Development of medicinal penicillin is attributed to a team of medics and scientists including , and . * 1928: formally submitted his ideas for a turbo-jet engine. In October 1929, he developed his ideas further. On 16 January 1930 in England, Whittle submitted his first patent (granted in 1932). * 1928: demonstrates the first electronic television to the press. * 1929: The is invented by Rudolph G. Boehm. 1930s * 1930: The is invented by . * 1931: The is invented by . * 1933: is patented by inventor . * 1935: , the first fully is produced by while working at . * 1938: built by is the first freely programmable in the world. * 1938, December: discovered in experiment by ( ), coined by (fled to Sweden from -occupied Austria) and (Sweden). The , and consequently the were begun based on this research, as well as the , although the latter one declined as its physicists were drafted into Germany's war effort. * 1939: or invented the electric current 1940s * 1941: is invented by British scientists John Whinfield and James Dickson. * 1942: The , the world's first long range , developed in during . * July 1945: The atomic bomb is first successfully developed by the , the and as a part of the and swiftly deployed in August 1945 in the , effectively terminating . * 1946: Sir invents the , inspired by the death of his friend and test pilot Captain in an aeroplane crash in 1942. * 1947: is invented by . * December 1947: The , used in almost all modern electronic products is invented in December 1947 by and under the supervision of . Subsequent s became steadily smaller, faster, more reliable, and cheaper to manufacture, leading to a revolution in computers, controls, and communication. * 1947: Floyd Farris and J.B. Clark ( ) invents technology. * 1948: The first is developed at the United States's . * 1948: is developed by . The vast majority of steel manufactured in the world is produced using the basic oxygen furnace; in 2000, it accounted for 60% of global steel output. 1950s * 1952: The is developed by . * December 20, 1951: First use of to produce electricity for households in * 1952: The first is developed by the . * 1953: The first , a helical scan recorder, is invented by Norikazu Sawazaki. * 1954: Invention of Solar Battery by Bell Telephone scientists, , Daryl Chapin and Gerald Pearson capturing the sun's power. First practical means of collecting energy from the sun and turning it into a current of electricity. * 1955: The is patented by . * 1955: The is developed by . * 1956: The is invented by . * 1957: The first used by one person and controlled by a keyboard, the is invented in 1957 by . * 1957: The first artificial , , is built and launched by the . * 1958–59: Independent invention of the by and . 1960s * 1960: The first functioning is invented by . * 1963: The first is created by Herbert A. Gilbert. is often credited with its invention as he developed the modern electronic cigarette and was the first to commercialize it. * 1965: is invented by at . * 1969: first deployed via UCLA, SRI, UCSB, and The University of Utah. 1970s * 1970: The is invented in . * 1971: is invented by . * 1971: The first commercially available , the is invented. * 1972: The first , used primarily for playing video games on a TV, is the . * 1973: The first commercial is introduced in 1973 on the . The modern GUI is later popularized by the and . * 1973: The first is developed at . * 1975: is the spark that ignited the . * 1973–75: The is developed by and for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( ) ARPANET, creating the basis for the modern . 1980s * 1980: (both NOR and NAND types) is invented in by while working for . It is formally introduced to the public in 1984. * 1982: A contains accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 Yellow Book standard developed by and adapted the format to hold any form of . * 1983: is invented by * 1984: The first commercially available , the DynaTAC 8000X, is created by . 1990s * 1990: The is first introduced to the public by English engineer and computer scientist . * 1993: , the first popular web browser is introduced * 1994: becomes the first to offer online internet banking services to all of its members in October 1994. * 1995: is an format, invented and developed by , , , and in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than s while having the same dimensions. Footnotes Category:Timeline